Jordan is going to the 2026 Mr Olympia, and what a way to qualify for the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding!! There aren’t a lot of contests left to qualify for the biggest show in bodybuilding, but what a great contest this was. and before delving deeper into the article I just want to congratulate Jordan on a tremendous victory. I have always said that it isn’t just about qualifying, rather, it’s about how you qualify. Just in 2026 we have seen a number of low-hanging fruit shows but this is definitely not one of them. and to go into this contest firing on all cylinders and to win at your best says a lot. it’s one thing when you win by happenstance or by some freak Act of nature. yes you’re still going to the Olympia but everybody knows that you’re only there because of some glitch. Now that being said, what’s even better than qualifying with a bang is qualifying in a disputed contest. because this was not hands down Jordan. There were a lot of people that thought that James Hollingshead should have won the contest. Two different physiques, going back to what the great Bob Cicherillo calls the apples and oranges of body building. One day the judging panel might be looking for the best apple and on another day they may be looking for the best orange. In the end we’re talking about physique-based sports. and how better to make the case than using the World Cup as a backdrop. In soccer you either score a goal or you don’t. It’s an objective criteria. Bodybuilding, on the other hand, couldn’t be more subjective than what it is. There is some uniformity and there’s certainly consistency in the judging but ultimately it comes down to what that panel is looking for on that given day. and on this day, the panel of Judges gave the big win to Jordan!
One thing that makes me very happy is that the European audiences are getting their money’s worth. Whether it’s in Spain, Portugal, or the Czech Republic. There was a moment of time there where the European audiences were getting the short end of the stick. and bodybuilding being so popular there, including countries that actually get behind their athletes, it was just not right. There needed to be more emphasis on the quality of the competitors stepping on stage in that very very important continent to physique base sports. I feel that the promoters heard the concerns of the fans and have responded by consistently improving the production value and bringing the best of the best to the stage. I have no doubt in my mind that Jordan could potentially be in the top 12, maybe even the top 10. that is no slide on him. It’s just that 2026 is going to be one of the most competitive years in professional bodybuilding and to say that someone can make the top 12 or even the top 10 is saying a lot. It’s saying an awful lot. I’m racking my brain thinking about how the top six is going to look, let alone the top 10. But will Jordan be competitive at the olympia? you bet your ass he will? because that’s the kind of champion that he is. and who knows, 26 might be top 10, 27 might be top six. That’s just how the cookie crumbles. That’s the product of hard work.
As I had alluded to earlier, There are certain signs of a great bodybuilding show. and unfortunately one of those Great Signs is vocal debate. It’s bodybuilding fans going for each other! it’s no holds barred, just as the title of the Marquis show at iron Mack TV reads. What makes bodybuilding great is that subjective nature. On the one hand people hate it. They want objectivity, they want clear-cut points for clear-cut physiques. But it just doesn’t work that way. On the flip side, it says subjectivity creates the best debates on the message boards, the Facebook groups, the reddit’s and the gym locker rooms. because you have individuals that are trying zealously to convince their peers that their competitor, they’re favorite bodybuilder, I don’t know what should have won the show. and the reason I say I don’t know what is because bodybuilders are like superheroes. But when we think about superheroes we think of children reading comic books or watching TV shows. In bodybuilding the superheroes cater to grown ass men well into their 30s, 40s, there’s guys that will challenge you to a fight in the alley in their 70s if things get heated enough about their favorite bodybuilder. I’m not even kidding. We have that dynamic in the sport and I think it’s what’s kept an otherwise boring sport alive. because if I were to tell you that there are millions of people that faithfully adhere to a sport consisting of oiled up muscle men and speedos, you would probably look at me like I was out of my mind. who the fuck is going to want to follow that the same way that normal people follow basketball, football, hockey, and baseball? you’d have to be some kind of a lunatic to follow that with that level of seriousness, but there are super fans like that and many might I add! It’s due to the fact that somebody could look like the absolute best, like they could stand out of a crowd of 20, yet they take third place or fourth place or they don’t even play. and that’s just the reality of the matter. I have actually been to a contest where the guy who I thought should have won wasn’t even in the top six! how the fuck do you explain that?
That’s just it! You can’t explain bodybuilding. You either get it or you don’t.
With regards to the Portugal Pro I’m going to say that I thought that James had a very very solid shot in the prejudging. As soon as he hit the stage I was looking at the pictures and the videos and I was convinced that he was the champion. in the finals though I was leaning a little bit more towards Jordan. Now that being said, in my opinion it was a two-man contest. That’s usually not so fun to watch because a lot of times the other competitors bring phenomenal physiques but they just don’t get the attention that they deserve. but that is also the nature of the beast. Sometimes a competitor will take the stage and never get moved from that position. Sometimes the winner gets moved around all the time almost to the point that it looks like he’s going to place fifth or 6th when in reality the judges just want to see him next to every man on that stage. and that’s another thing, if you come to a professional bodybuilding show and you have not done your due diligence in terms of practicing your posing, you’re going to cramp up and it’s going to show immediately. I can say that both Jordan and James had their posing down pat. they were really really fighting for it and that is a true sign of a tremendous bodybuilding contest. my kudos to both competitors and to the promoter!
Has a rivalry been formed? I wouldn’t say that. Just because too many competitors finish in the top two does not mean that there is going to be a rivalry. This was just two great bodybuilders at one great bodybuilding show and the placings were with the placings were. I don’t think there’s any bad blood between these guys and the last thing that the fans should want is for there to be. True Body blues, true professionals, let the judging to the judges. You can’t get mad at the next man if he placed higher than you and you certainly can’t get mad at people for being happy that they have tasted success. I have a feeling that we will see James perhaps in Tampa, maybe in the Texas show, but I have no doubt he will be at the olympia. That is where he belongs. These are two tried and true badass bodybuilders that have walked the walk and talk to talk.
What did you think about Portugal? Did you have Jordan winning? or did you have James winning? or did you have someone else winning?
As always I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at iron mag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
